This week, Kenya international and Gor Mahia defender Alphonse Omija joined Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel.
Let it be known from the onset that I have no problem with players moving abroad, but I’m more concerned about building a strong local league with formidable clubs.
The conflict of interest in our game must be called out. You cannot campaign to be elected to lead a club promising to make it a continental force then turn around and personally facilitate the sale of its best players to rival African sides.
You can’t posture as a Gor Mahia die-hard while at the same time arming the club’s biggest continental opponents, then expect fans to believe you’re making Gor stronger.
How will our clubs ever compete favourably in Africa if officials are only chasing percentages through player sales and shady deals?
Gor fans need to smoke out such self-serving individuals.
Some of these officials, despite posturing as football experts, can’t even attempt a weak rebuttal. But I will stick to my argument.
Selling players to so-called “bigger clubs” sounds glamorous until you actually face the reality on the ground. But most of you deliberately refuse to see that, choosing instead to amuse your little echo chambers.
It is nauseating to watch people who aspire to lead Kenyan football cling to such shallow short-termism.
Every well-meaning Kenyan football fan, regardless of club loyalty, should reject this attempt to dress up dependency as growth.
For Gor Mahia, or any Kenyan club, to truly rise, the issue isn’t how many players you ship out, but whether you can retain and build around dependable talent.
The likes of Yanga, Simba, and Sundowns aren’t just selling; they have robust financial structures, strong commercial backbones, and systems that guarantee quality replacements. That’s why they can lose a star on Saturday and unveil two better ones on Sunday. Gor and our clubs, on the other hand, are being lulled into mediocrity, selling key players under the guise of “revenue generation” while remaining stagnant, recycling the same struggles season after season.
This is the practice I’m calling out: club officials who promised to turn Gor into continental giants but are nothing more than glorified player brokers.
You don’t compete with Africa’s best while acting as their feeder clubs. I will oppose that “nonsense” even if I remain the lone voice against it.
Progress is not about clinging to individuals, yes, but neither is it about constantly weakening your own side. Until officials embrace uncomfortable conversations like this and choose ambition over quick cash grabs, Kenyan club football will remain stagnant while others advance..
Ustadh Okello Kimathi isn’t just another digital creator— he’s a live sports broadcast enthusiast, playing with the big boys on the continent. This post first dropped on his Facebook page, but it was too good not to share. And here’s the thing: you could be the next Ustadh. If sport is your thing and you can serve it raw — no sugarcoating, no fluff — then we want you. Shoot us an email at editor@sportsafrica.net and step into a fast-growing tribe of misfits, radicals, and mavericks who live and breathe sport.
